Life-Saving Numbers…

Do you know your numbers? You should know and track at least these three to save your life. Blood pressure. Normal is below 120/80. Some doctors say to aim for 115/76 or less. TV’s Dr. Oz adds that you can lower it by losing just 10 percent of any weight you’ve gained since you were 18. Cholesterol. Your total should be less than 200. HDL (good cholesterol) should be more than 40 for men and 50 for women. Optimal LDL (lousy cholesterol) is 100 or lower. Triglycerides should be less than 150. To help lower your cholesterol, add these to your diet: soy-based foods, almonds, grains and veggies. Blood sugar. Fasting blood sugar should be less than 100. One way to help keep yours stable is to switch to whole-wheat pasta. It also contains magnesium, which lowers the risk of diabetes. Know your numbers, and ask your doctor what you can do to improve them.

You are Fitter Than You Think

Blame the media, Photoshop, the feats of professional athletes, or your own unrealistic expectations, but the truth is you’re probably not that out of shape. In fact, you may just be fitter than you think – and I can prove it! You stand and sit. Active people feel the need to get up and move around throughout the day. Getting in and out of a car involves basic squat movements, and you should be able to do this without pain. You constantly carry stuff. Whether you’re picking up and carrying children or shouldering a massive bag to and from work, those pounds add up to a healthy dose of weightlifting! You recover quickly. Take a short jog, try a few squat exercises, or just walk at a steady pace for a while. Are you tired and worn out, or could you endure a bit more? A healthy recovery time is a good indicator of physical fitness. You do household chores. Carrying laundry down the stairs requires balance. Navigating several tasks in the kitchen while avoiding dropping, burning, or falling is proof of coordination and dexterity. You take the stairs. If you can walk or run up and down stairs without feeling lightheaded or out of breath, you’re probably in decent aerobic shape. You crave healthy habits. It’s a good sign if you seek out exercise simply because it makes you feel good. Ditto if you prefer to eat healthily as well just because you want to not because you feel guilty.

Take advantage of low rates - Even with a low down payment loan

Is it possible to purchase a home with a small down payment? Lenders have always offered government backed FHA programs which allow lower credit scores, higher income to debt ratios with 3.5% down aimed at first time buyers. More lenders are also offering a 5% down conventional product with mortgage insurance premiums. Other ways to buy a home with little down include using local or federal government programs, using a tax refund, and asking a relative or friend for a financial gift. Before you do any of the above, consult a professional REALTOR® about your options. A REALTOR® also will provide you with direction and connections to a lender and help you avoid costly traps and pitfalls in the home-buying process. For more information on down-payment options my lender John Porter at Mortgage Master is always available and willing to help at 206-954-8736 or john@mortgagemasterwa.com

Safer Night Driving

When the sun goes down, it’s harder to spot obstacles on the road and the likelihood of encountering a drunk or tired driver increases. It’s little surprise, then, that fatal car crashes are three times more likely to happen at night than during the day, according to the National Safety Council. Luckily, there are several night driving strategies that can help keep you safe.  Increase the distance between your car and the car in front of you. A three-second lead is suggested during the day; at night, you should double this number.  Use lights to your advantage. Turn on blinkers long before you need them and tap brakes as you slow down to alert drivers behind you.  Maintain your headlights. Change headlight bulbs when they are getting dim or have burnt out. Use low beams during fog, and keep headlights on from an hour before dusk to an hour after dawn.  Avoid glare. If a car with bright beams is blinding you, shift your gaze to the right side of the road until the car has passed.

Christmas Light Displays

Ravenna's Candy Cane Lane - Since 1949 twenty-three houses all in a row, adorned with lights, fancy blow ups, Christmas music, sleighs and reindeer are what you will find at this Seattle institution. These 1920's- era Tudors will transport you down memory lane. NE Park Rd at the cross street of 21st Ave NE - 4:00 - 9:30pm. Weekends until 11:00pm. Menashe Family Lights - West Seattleites have long loved visiting this display so iconic it is featured on national television. This year they have scaled it back so it will attract smaller crowds. You are encouraged to drive by and enjoy the display from your car. Next year they will be back bigger and better than ever. 5605 Beach Dr SW - Dusk to 10:00pm. Keener's Christmas Light Display - Award winning Keener's is a north end favorite. You drive through a towering arch and land in the middle of over 500,000 lights for a truly magical effect. They collect donations to support Strong Against Cancer and HopeLink. Drive thru only, no parking or walking. 16504 112th Pl NE Bothell - 6:00-10:00pm. Snoqualmie Winter Lights - The city of Snoqualmie has kicked off their 2nd Winter Lights Festival. Start at the Salish Lodge / Snoqualmie Falls and you will be dazzled by decorated trees and light displays. Be sure to stop in at the main gazebo in town. There are many safe family orientated activates. 5:00 - 11:30pm. ZooLights at Point Defiance - Enjoy the Zoolights tradition with over 700,000 lights and 3-D animal displays with new safety protocols in place. Do not miss the reimagined tunnel of lights and hunt for Sasquatch. Tickets cost $10-$14. 4:30-10:00pm Bellevue Snowflake Lane - Reimagined yet still memorable! They will be missing the parade and performers but stress this is the perfect way to celebrate the season in your car. Enjoy the lights timed to the music, and of course you are guaranteed it will magically snow. 5:00 - 9:00pm

Kind Words - Dale Carnegie

You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime. Dale Carnegie

Make Yourself Indispensable at Work

Did you know that how you dress, speak, work, and act might be sending a message to your boss saying, “When it’s time to cut someone, choose me?” You can make yourself indispensable by avoiding these mistakes, says Ronna Lichtenberg, author of It’s Not Business, It’s Personal: The 9 Relationship Principles That Power Your Career. Here are five tips that can make you indispensable at work: 1. Pitch in when others ask for help. You’ll make friends and allies at work. 2. Strive for excellence not perfection. Be willing to take on a new task. Also, if you make a mistake, admit it and find a solution. 3. Keep an eye on your appearance. Your boss may think your appearance is a reflection of your work. 4. Network with people at your level or people who are in a position to promote you. 5. Take things in stride. Your ideas may be passed over sometimes, but don’t take it personally.

What Your Desk May Reveal About You...

Are you uptight? Controlling? Or are you a free spirit? Your desk and office may reveal a bit about you! University of Texas at Austin researchers had people look at the offices of workers they had never met. Certain character traits emerged...as reported in Psychology Today: • A stylish, and unconventional office revealed someone open to new experiences. • A decorated and warm office indicated an extroverted personality. • Neat, clean, and uncluttered desks showed a conscientious type person. • A formal, undecorated, indistinctive, showed an emotionally stable personality.

Memory Boosters!

Have you misplaced your keys again? If you’re like most people, it’s an occasional annoyance. But if it’s happening more frequently than you’d like to admit, maybe it’s time for some memory boosters to help strengthen your mind. Here are five easy tips to improve your memory power: 1. Keep Items Where You’ll Need Them. Keep your keys by the front door; eye glasses in the same place everyday, and wallet/purse in the same location. 2. Keep A Notebook With A Calendar. Keep names, phone numbers, important dates, medical information, to do lists, and a notepad. Carry it with you (or carry a small notepad), so you can jot down information as needed. 3. Minimize Distractions. Focus on one thing at a time. Turn off the TV or radio when you need to focus your attention on a task. 4. Exercise Your Mind. Read, do crossword puzzles, play cards, chess, or a musical instrument to keep your mind active. Watch television shows like Jeopardy. 5. Take Care Of Your Body. Go for a walk, swim, or bicycle. It’ll clear your mind. And remember to eat a balanced diet and get enough rest!

Color Curiosities

Scientific studies have found that colors, especially in logos, evoke certain thoughts or emotions: • Blue improves performance on creative tasks and red improved performance on detail-oriented tasks. • Black and red are associated with strength. Grey and white are associated with weakness. • Brown and blue are associated with stable brands. • Green logos are associated with being masculine, rugged, or outdoorsy.

Dog-gone Facts

 Based on an average life span of 11 years, the cost of owning a dog is $13,350.  Dogs only sweat from the bottoms of their feet. The only way they can discharge heat is by panting. Dogs and wolves yawn as a sign of contentment.  Dogs have about 100 different facial expressions, most of them made with the ears. Unfortunately, the likes of bulldogs and pit bulls only have 10, due to their breeding. Therefore, these dogs easily are misinterpreted by other dogs and often get into fights.  One of the world’s oldest breeds of dog is the Saluki. It is thought to have been developed in ancient Mesopotamia around 3000 B.C.  “Three dog night” (attributed to Australian Aborigines) came about because on especially cold nights these nomadic people needed three dogs (Dingoes, actually) to keep from freezing.  Dogs see in color, although it’s not as vivid as the range that humans possess.

Safer Night Driving

When the sun goes down, it’s harder to spot obstacles on the road and the likelihood of encountering a drunk or tired driver increases. It’s little surprise, then, that fatal car crashes are three times more likely to happen at night than during the day, according to the National Safety Council. Luckily, there are several night driving strategies that can help keep you safe.  Increase the distance between your car and the car in front of you. A three-second lead is suggested during the day; at night, you should double this number.  Use lights to your advantage. Turn on blinkers long before you need them and tap brakes as you slow down to alert drivers behind you.  Maintain your headlights. Change headlight bulbs when they are getting dim or have burnt out. Use low beams during fog, and keep headlights on from an hour before dusk to an hour after dawn.  Avoid glare. If a car with bright beams is blinding you, shift your gaze to the right side of the road until the car has passed.

Got Burn-Out? Take These Steps

Are you bummed by job burn-out? If quitting your job isn’t an option, take these five steps to improve your situation. • Identify stress factors and learn how to manage them. Be proactive rather than passive about workplace issues. Know the difference between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” If you have too much work and too little time, talk to your supervisor. • Reconnect with your core work. Maybe you’ve strayed from what you were originally hired to do. Focus on the work you enjoy doing. • Take care of yourself. Take time off to recharge your batteries. • Build new relationships. Make friends with people who might have fresh ideas and perspectives. Do something different – open a Twitter account. • Plan your next move. Outline what you’d have to do to change careers and start taking action.

Prevent A Home Electrical Fire

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, home electrical problems cause more than 26,000 fires a year, half of which involve electrical wiring. Call an electrician if you have any of the following: • Problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers. • Discolored, cracked, or warm wall outlets or switches (if you see sparks, make the call as soon as possible). • A burning smell or rubbery odor from an appliance. • Flickering lights. Take these precautions: • Make sure your smoke detectors are working properly. • Replace old or damaged appliance cords immediately. • If buying a used appliance, ask if it has been tested for safety.

Composting 101

According to recent reports, almost 30-40% of the food supply is wasted, which is more than 20 pounds per person each month. Composting waste from your kitchen and yard is good way to help reduce this waste—and your garden plants will thank you. • Choose an outside compost container. Buy a plastic, metal, or wooden container for your yard (about 80 gallons is good). Check Lowes (Lowes.com) or Home Depot (HomeDepot.com) for options. • Collect kitchen scraps. Use a small, lidded container to collect organic matter such as eggshells, coffee grounds, leftover vegetables, and fruit peels as you prepare food. You’ll need to empty this frequently into the outside container. Additionally, twigs, dead leaves, paper plates, and torn-up newspaper can be added into the compost bin. • Turn the compost material. Mix it up a few times a month with a pitchfork or shovel to keep moisture and oxygen circulating. Keep it damp but not soggy (you shouldn’t see pools of water). In a few months, expect your compost to produce a healthy, dark soil, which can then be used for plants in your yard.

Parenting Truths!

• If you have trouble getting your children’s attention, just sit down and look comfortable. • Money isn’t everything, but it sure keeps the kids in touch. • Vacation is a time when parents realize that teachers are grossly underpaid. • The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left. • There would be fewer problems with children if they had to chop wood to keep the television set going. • Those who say they “sleep like a baby” don’t have one. • The best thing to spend on your children is time.

Cleaning Your Oven Door

Even with a self-cleaning oven, the glass in the oven door never sparkles. It’s easy to clean with baking soda and water. Simply spread baking soda over the inside of the glass with the door lying flat open and spray all over the baking soda with water. Let it sit for a minute or two (longer if the glass is really dirty) and wipe away with a damp cloth. Easy and chemical-free!

Stress Relieving Tips

When we’re stressed, we’re less able to focus and we’re doing damage to our overall health. Here are some science-based methods for de-stressing quickly. • Breathe – Stress makes us take short breaths. Concentrate on deep breaths through the nose, exhaling through the mouth, for several minutes to increase oxygen flow and reduce tension. • Pattern Reset – Forcing your brain to focus on something else, such as the repetitive task of doing dishes or knitting, can help get your mind off whatever’s bothering you. • Go for a Walk – Not only will a 10-minute walk physically remove you from any stressful situation, the exercise releases stress-relieving endorphins in your brain. Dancing to your favorite song works, too. • Take an e-Break – We love technology, but it can also cause a huge amount of stress. Turn off your phone or computer to increase your ability to relax, and don’t leave your email inbox open all day.